Expert’s choice: South American Cabernet Franc

Planted across Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, Cabernet Franc is revealing a distinctive New World identity – particularly when planted at altitude. Alejandro Iglesias recommends top bottles to try

An essential ingredient in many great wines, Cabernet Franc never quite seems to have received its due in the Loire Valley, Bordeaux or Tuscany – an injustice that winemakers in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay are looking to put right. Even though just 3,000ha are under vine, South America has been doing a lot more to improve its reputation than many Old World producers. In the warm, dry conditions found in South American vineyards, Cabernet Franc ripens better, with fewer pyrazines (which give a leafy, green pepper character) and gentler tannins.

In Argentina, there is already talk about the rise of ‘Franc’ even though there are only 1,146ha under vine

(compared with 40,000ha of Malbec). It partners well with Malbec, bringing enhanced freshness and a lighter structure, but it quickly began to stand out on its own.

‘Cab Franc expresses itself differently at different altitudes,’ says Alejandro Vigil, oenologist at Catena Zapata and Bodega Aleanna, and the producer of the most highly rated Cabernet Franc in South America. ‘It reflects distinct Mendozan terroirs as clearly as Malbec.’

Although old vines exist in Mendoza, in Maipú and in Luján de Cuyo, the current boom began 15 years ago with clones (#214 and #327) introduced in the late 20th century. With 261ha at 700m-1,000m, Luján de Cuyo ensures rich dark fruits, full body and juicy acidity. In the cooler Uco Valley, 462ha are planted at 1,000m-1,400m, the wines taut with red fruits and a balsamic profile. To the north it is grown above 1,700m, resulting in powerful, fresh wines with moderate pyrazines. In Patagonia, the profile is more like that found in the Old World.

In Chile, 1,646ha of Cabernet Franc are distributed mainly across Maipo, Maule and Colchagua, although it is also grown by the coast. Only about 30 Chilean Cabernet Franc varietal wines currently exist and the leafy profile varies according to the climate, but the grape is often found in good blends. ‘We’ve started to pay it attention, but it’s not an easy grape to get right in Chile,’ says Rafael Urrejola, who makes single-varietal Cabernet Franc in Maipo for Undurraga’s Terroir Hunter TH range (see below). Winemakers tend to find the leafy, pyrazine profile a little daunting for single varietal bottlings.

Finally, with its 240ha under vine, Uruguay is producing some very good Cabernet Francs from vineyards close to the Río de la Plata and in the east. Although no one distinctive style has yet emerged, winemakers are optimistic about its future near the ocean. Bodega Garzón and Viña Progreso are the wineries most worth keeping an eye on right now.

DAlejandro Iglesias is a wine writer and educator based in Buenos Aires. He is a DWWA judge and regular contributor to Decanter on the South American wine scene